Pay-Rod

Sometime in the next few days, Alex Rodriguez will wake up as the wealthiest athlete ever to play a sport.

The New York Yankees and its third baseman have agreed to a contract that will pay Rodriguez $275 million over 10 years. Rodriguez has the chance of making millions more once he begins his pursuit of Barry Bonds' tainted home run record.

A-Rod, sports' first and only quarter billion-dollar athlete, gets to stay with the Yankees --- and he gets his money.

Meanwhile, the interlocking NYs get to keep their man and brag that they did it without dealing with the fiendish Scott Boras.

But this isn't about dollars. It's about sense.

I don't pretend to understand the economics behind a corporation agreeing to pay one of its employees what amounts to Monopoly money. Somehow, the Yankees have crossed a threshhold here. Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks throws $250 million over 10 years at Rodriguez, and Hicks is reviled and ridiculed. The Sons of Steinbrenner up the total contract to $275 million over the course of a decade, and this is good business sense?

What are the Yanks paying for here? Not a World Series anytime soon; $27 million for one player doesn't leave a lot of money for starting pitching.

Is it an early deposit on the next home run chase? The Giants did this with Barry Bonds; look where it got them.

Again, it's a matter or dollars but not much sense. Unless you're Alex Rodriguez, who cashiered some humility, got paid big time and looks forward the rest of his playing career in pinstripes.

Or Tom Hicks, who's off the hook for more than $21 million when A-Rod opted out of his contract.

Or Scott Boras, who stood by the sidelines giggling at those who thought they got the better of him.